Intelligence Agencies Undermining Trump's Claims

Plus: Deporting the worst of the worst, Bessent tries to promote the Trump economic agenda, and more...

Alien Enemies Act use undermined: President Donald Trump has, since the start of his second term, been using wartime powers—the Alien Enemies Act of 1798—to quickly and easily deport Venezuelans he claims are associated with the Tren de Aragua gang, which he has designated a foreign terrorist organization. The AEA allows the president to deny court hearings to certain immigrants during times of "declared war" or when a foreign government has taken part in an "invasion" or "predatory incursion." Trump claims that the Venezuelan government, by directing the activities of Tren de Aragua, is threatening U.S. national security and that Venezuelan nationals flowing into the U.S. constitutes an invasion.

A memo that was declassified yesterday indicates that the intelligence agencies within the Trump administration do not believe that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro actually directs the activities of Tren de Aragua, undermining Trump's claim.

"While Venezuela's permissive environment enables TDA to operate, the Maduro regime probably does not have a policy of cooperating with TDA and is not directing TDA movement to and operations in the United States," reads the memo, from the National Intelligence Council, which is nested within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. "The intelligence record indicates Venezuelans have migrated voluntarily, often at great personal risk, to flee political instability and near-collapse of Venezuela's economy," adds the memo elsewhere, noting that migrants to the U.S. are not always Tren de Aragua–affiliated.

On May 1, District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. of the Southern District of Texas said much the same in a ruling that bars deportations of Venezuelans under the AEA in South Texas. "The historical record renders clear that the President's invocation of the AEA through the Proclamation exceeds the scope of the statute and is contrary to the plain, ordinary meaning of the statute's terms," wrote Rodriguez.

"The Proclamation makes no reference to and in no manner suggests that a threat exists of an organized, armed group of individuals entering the United States at the direction of Venezuela to conquer the country or assume control over a portion of the nation," added Rodriguez. "Thus, the Proclamation's language cannot be read as describing conduct that falls within the meaning of 'invasion' for purposes of the AEA."

It's worth noting that Rodriguez was appointed by Trump during his first term. So, if one is tempted to discredit these intelligence officials by saying they're Deep State actors antagonistic to Trump, it's important to consider that Rodriguez is philosophically more aligned with Trump, yet comes down in the same place: that the current usage of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans without court hearings is a stretch, as we are not in a time of war in which Maduro is directing an invasion of the United States by Tren de Aragua.

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Scenes from New York: Felix Rojas, an illegal immigrant who crossed the border multiple times dating back to 1998, was arrested on Sunday in New York City and charged with rape and grand larceny for his crimes committed against a corpse on the subway. "On April 30, [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] New York City lodged an immigration detainer against Rojas," adds the Department of Homeland Security in a press release.

This high-profile crime has caught the attention of many New Yorkers, who had up until this weekend been rather disturbed that the perpetrator had not yet been caught. I have a lot of issues with ICE's actions these days, but this strikes me as a job well done.

The subhed appears to be, uh, pretty backed up by the headline. pic.twitter.com/9UaeE7QEaZ

— Liz Wolfe (@LizWolfeReason) April 11, 2025

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QUICK HITS

• Are "tradwives" dumb or is neotraditionalism actually worth aspiring to? All this and more, from Just Asking Questions with Ross Douthat:

• "The Trump economic agenda is more than the sum of its parts," said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at the Milken Institute conference in Beverly Hills. "Trade, tax cuts, and deregulation may be three distinct policies. But each policy is mutually reinforcing. And acting in concert, they push toward the same goal—to solidify our position as the home of global capital."
• Pershing Square Capital Management founder Bill Ackman calls for President Trump to pause tariffs, saying that a recession is not "a foregone conclusion." Watch.
• "The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is the latest elite college to borrow money from the bond market as universities contend with threats to federal funding under President Donald Trump's administration," reports Bloomberg. "MIT is joining Harvard, Stanford and Princeton in selling taxable bonds in a deal that's set to price Tuesday, according to a roadshow for investors. Taxable bonds are often quicker to sell compared to tax-exempt bonds, which have restrictions on what the proceeds can be used for."
• Self-deportation incentives:

The Trump administration announces it will give migrants who self-deport free airline tickets and a $1,000 stipend.

The Department of Homeland Security says it will de-prioritize migrants for arrest and detention, if they sign up for self-deportation via the CBP Home app. pic.twitter.com/WDjszjgI36

— Camilo Montoya-Galvez (@camiloreports) May 5, 2025

• The New York Times has recently been making a clear and concerted effort to pay attention to what they perceive to be "right-wing" culture. This includes a feature on a hot new fashion trend that is not in fact new at all, just new to them:

https://t.co/PYrv5nLkcm pic.twitter.com/GumpPHzaKh

— Alex Griswold (@HashtagGriswold) April 30, 2025